Proper focus, immense talent

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW
By David Kiefer
Mercury News
Jimmy Satele wondered if his nephew had gotten lost. It was getting dark, and he and his wife were the only ones left at Cal football's junior day, an open house for prospective recruits.
But Satele's nephew, Wilcox High lineman Isaac Leatiota, was just fine. He was sitting in Coach Jeff Tedford's office, though he didn't know why. Until that day, Leatiota didn't believe Tedford even knew who he was.
Moments later, after his aunt and uncle were ushered into the room, Leatiota was offered a scholarship. ``Nobody could say anything,'' Leatiota recalled. ``My uncle was so happy, he was shocked.'' That Leatiota could share the moment with his uncle was appropriate.
``He made me the person I am right now,'' he said. Leatiota, a 6-foot-2, 305-pound guard and defensive tackle, accepted Cal's offer and enters his senior season as one of the top prospects in Northern California. Ossie Satele said she knows the secret to her son's success: ``My brother keeps him on a short leash.''
While most teens balk at discipline, Leatiota has thrived on it. Leatiota moved in with his aunt, uncle and their three boys when he was in fifth grade. Money was tight for Isaac's parents, and the family had bounced from home to home in East San Jose. When a job opportunity came up in El Paso, his father, Tauluavaa, took it. Isaac, however, refused to move again. By choosing to stay with his uncle in Sunnyvale, Leatiota had to abide by his uncle's standards. Until then, he was an overweight kid without motivation or ambition, and a poor student without much interest in sports.
But the day he moved in, that changed. He was given responsibilities: cleaning the bathroom, mowing the lawn, washing the dishes, cleaning his room. Homework was to be done at the table and with no radio. He was signed up for sports and immediately took to baseball, becoming an excellent pitcher and power hitter. But he could play only if he maintained his grades. ``He was ready,'' Jimmy Satele said. ``He kind of wanted that sense of direction. He knew what I was all about: If you don't do your schoolwork, you're going to be grounded. He got to 3.0 real quick.''
Even as a senior, Leatiota, who carries a 3.1 grade-point average, must be home by 11 each night. ``Not 11:01, or 11 o'clock and 30 seconds,'' Satele said. Isaac's friends have learned, as well. When 11 draws near, they scramble to get him home on time. ``You can go and have fun,'' Satele said. ``But at some point, you've got to be responsible. I've seen so many bad things happen, and he has so many things to look forward to. I want to be able to sleep at night, knowing he's back.''
To Leatiota, rules and structure have been liberating. With discipline, his work ethic was established. With hard work, his ability was unleashed. And that ability is substantial. Recruiters were most impressed with his speed for a player his size (4.8 seconds for the 40-yard dash), his strength (400-pound bench press) and the pancake blocks that added spice to his recruiting DVD.
``He's fast and destructive,'' Wilcox line coach Russell Bowes said. Bowes recalled a defensive sequence when Leatiota chased down a back and hit him so hard the opponent crashed into a Gatorade container. Indeed, even during a non-contact drill in practice last week, Leatiota merely bumped into a running back and sent him flying backward.
``Usually, you get a big guy that's strong but slow,'' Wilcox Coach Woody Freitas said. ``But to get a big guy who's strong, with lateral quickness and an explosion off the ball, it doesn't happen very often.'' Later this month, Leatiota's family will move back to the Santa Clara Valley from El Paso, and Isaac, the oldest of seven children, will reunite with them.
But Isaac will always be grateful to his uncle for helping him develop the maturity and confidence to do great things. ``The credit should go to him,'' Satele said. ``He was a kid that just needed opportunities. We basically guided him through, but he did it on his own.''